'Forever chemicals' are 'everywhere,' say experts. Here's what you can do to lower your exposure.
So-called forever chemicals have been a hot topic lately, and, unfortunately, not for good reasons. A government study published earlier this month found that these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are in 45% of tap water in the U.S., while another study of children in Norway found that 1 out of 5 kids had levels of PFAS in their blood that exceeded safety limits set by the European Food Safety Authority.
More research published last month found a link between higher PFAS exposure during pregnancy and a greater risk of children who are born to those moms having obesity. Basically, several studies found that forever chemicals are highly prevalent — and that's concerning.
But while you may be aware that forever chemicals aren't a great thing, it's understandable to be fuzzy on the details. Here's what you need to know, plus what you can do to limit your future intake.
What exactly do forever chemicals do to your body?
Forever chemicals are a large group of man-made chemicals that have been used since the 1950s, according to the National Institutes of Health. While they're used for a wide range of things — to keep food from sticking to packages or cookware, for firefighting foam and to make clothing and fabrics resistant to stains — they don't easily break down in the environment.
PFAS have infiltrated the food and water supply, making it difficult to avoid these substances. "Nearly everyone in the U.S. has these chemicals in their body because the exposure is so prevalent and we're exposed to them in a number of ways," Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), tells Yahoo Life.
Research into the impact of PFAS on the body is ongoing, but there is some data to suggest it isn't good. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clearly states that PFAS can cause "serious health problems, including cancer" if people are exposed to them over longer periods of time. Research has linked PFAS to the following health conditions as well:
The EPA stated last year in a health advisory that forever chemicals may be more dangerous to human health at lower levels than previously believed. "Numerous studies have linked them to a lot of serious health effects," Stoiber says. "There is probably not a system in the body that isn't linked to these chemicals."
But there's still a lot that researchers are learning about how harmful PFAS are for your health, as well as at what levels they can cause harm. "The jury is still out on that one," Jamie Alan, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life. "They can be harmful, but I don't think we still understand the full range of effects."
John Rumpler, clean water director and senior attorney for Environment America, tells Yahoo Life that there's a "long and growing list" of negative health effects from PFAS exposure. "What's alarming about them is not just the number of different risks they pose, but also the fact that they're persistent — they don't break down easily and, as a result, they're everywhere," he says.
What can you do to mitigate the effects of what may already be in your body?
That's tricky. As of right now, there is no detox or medication you can take to get rid of forever chemicals lurking in your body. "At this point, I don't think there is anything you can do directly to address any chemicals people may already be harboring — not yet, anyway," Alan says. "The only action you might take is to balance other healthful habits."
Stoiber says that while it takes time, the levels of PFAS in your body will eventually go down. "There have been studies that have shown that when drinking water treatment has been installed in a community and that exposure source is reduced, the level of PFAS can go down in your body," she says. "But there's not really a quick fix for getting rid of forever chemicals."
How to limit your future forever chemical intake
There are a lot of potential sources of forever chemicals, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flags the following as particularly problematic:
Drinking contaminated municipal water or private well water
Eating food grown or raised near places that used or made PFAS
Eating fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS
Accidentally swallowing contaminated soil or dust
Eating food packaged in material that contains PFAS
Using some consumer products such as stain-resistant carpeting and water-repellent clothing
While it's difficult to avoid PFAS entirely, Stoiber says, there are a few things you can do to lower your exposure. "Eating less takeout food where you can be exposed to PFAS in the wrappers can help," she says. "Not eating prepackaged microwave popcorn, which still has some PFAS in it, and filtering your drinking water — these behaviors do have a positive effect."
Not all water filters are designed to filter out PFAS, but Stoiber says that in-home reverse osmosis filters installed under your sink or at your tap are the best way to filter PFAS from your water. However, these tend to be pricey. The EWG has conducted a study that found that many countertop water filtration pitchers can also effectively reduce PFAS concentrations.
But Rumpler points out that you can only do so much to limit your exposure. "The only way we're really going to solve this problem is to turn off the toxic tap," he says. "We just need to stop using these chemicals."
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